Joanne Ellul from Mosta has won a Mediterranean Cruise for two people on board the MSC Melody. The week-long cruise was the prize in a competition organised by Valletta Waterfront and 89.7 Bay Radio, with the collaboration of Hamilton Travel, representatives in Malta of MSC Crociere, the operators of the MSC Melody.

The finalists and invited guests met at Heat American Diner at the Valletta Waterfront, where the group was entertained until it was time to board the MSC Melody, on which the competition had to take place. The MSC Melody was in Malta during its weekly stop at Valletta’s Grand Harbour.

The 10 finalists – Marie Vasallo, Rosely Staff, Joanne Ellul, Silvio Galea, Jennifer McGahern, Rosanne Micallef, Keely Anne Xuereb, Nadine Caruana, Aiden Xuereb and Clive Vella – qualified through a competition held over the previous weeks on Bay Radio.

Once on board the ship, the finalists had to answer a question, with those who answered correctly being given a key to one of the cabins on board. The first contestant to successfully open a cabin, in this case Ms Ellul, won the cruise which will depart from Malta and also visit Tunis, Ibiza, St Tropez, Genova and Naples. The Captain of the MSC Melody, Commandante Mario Stiffa, presented the prize during a special lunch organised for all the finalists on board the ship.

“Malta is a well-established port of call for MSC Crociere, so much so that in 2006 they intend to further increase the number of passengers they bring to our islands to well over 60,000,” said VISET plc chief executive Chris Falzon.

“Thanks to their support and the support of their representatives, Hamilton Travel, Valletta Waterfront has been able to organise this very successful competition with Bay Radio. Joanne will now have the pleasure of experiencing the fact that a luxury cruise can be enjoyed leaving from Malta without having to fly to another destination first,” he said.

The MSC Melody

MSC Melody is the largest ship of MSC Italian Cruises’ classic fleet. Custom-built to meet the highest standards of style and sophistication, the MSC Melody has been designed with passenger comfort as the top priority.

Graceful public areas, with high ceilings throughout, give a refreshing sense of space. 532 comfortable en-suite cabins are large and all equipped with TV. Sprawling outdoor deck space surrounds the two swimming pools. A highlight of the ship is the Magradome, a retractable transparent dome that allows you to enjoy the swimming pool even if the skies cloud over.

The MSC Melody combines the luxury of cruising with all the comforts of home. Other on-board facilities include six bars, two lounges, two large restaurant areas, a card room, a cinema, a gym, a discotheque, a casino, a jogging track, a beauty salon and a children’s play room, as well as a medical service.

The MSC Melody, represented in Malta by Hamilton Travel, sails from Valletta’s Grand Harbour every Wednesday calling at Tunis, Ibiza, St. Tropez, Genova and Naples before returning to Malta the following Wednesday. Further information on cruises on board the MSC Melody can be obtained by calling Hamilton Travel on 2124 1292.